Parkinson’s Questions

Parkinsons Recovery is a clearinghouse of information about treatments and therapies for persons diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Ask questions by emailing me directly: robert@parkinsonsrecovery.com.

I will review your question, do the appropriate research, ask other professionals if needed, rely on our experiences in working with persons who have Parkinson’s and provide a written answer to your question which will be posted here for everyone to read. We will also send the answer to your e mail.

The good news is that this service is absolutely free. The bad news is that I am a slow thinker so you may have to give me a little time to figure out the answer to your questions.

27 thoughts on “Parkinson’s Questions”

I am 44 yrs old and have had Parkinson’s since I was 38.
My Parkinsons is so bad now I shake most of the day and night. Sleep is bad lucky if I get 4 hours a night. Doctors wants me to get DBS and I don’t want to. He says my window of opportunity is coming to a close. What do you recommend?

For a different perspective on how to think about your current challenge, I suggest that you listen to my Sunday Connections program that I aired yesterday. During the program you will hear a discussion of the four factors that cause the symptoms. This will provide a new framework for you to consider.

Thank you for your very informative website. I am currently seeking a clinic or physician who provides Amino Acid Therapy using the Hinz Protocol. My husband has Parkinsons and we have read the Hinz papers. John is already taking Mucuna and the articles referencing Hinz repeatedly refer to clinics all over the US who use his work but we can’t seem to find a list or a search term that identifies them. We live in the state of Nebraska. Any contacts you may have to help direct us would be deeply appreciated.

I have interviewed a physicians assistant, David Overton, on the radio show several times who does use the Hinz protocol. He offers long distance consultations and so might be a resource you could explore further. His email address is: questions@natmeds.net

Hello, I am a hypnotherapist in California, who has recently found myself with several people around me, who have been diagnosed with Parkinsons, 2 of which are family members, the others fairly close. Sadly, some will be receptive to this type of treatment, while the others may not. I am just beginning my research into the workings of PD, and would appreciate any ideas, tips, or modalities that you all have found to work well. I would also happily correspond on any other therapeutic subjects, to serve what I consider to be the greater good.
Thanks in advance.
Patrick Biswell

Thanks for your interest in Parkinsons Recovery. There are many options that my research has shown help people reverse their symptoms – iincluding hynotherapy. You are clearly aware of the Parkinsons Recovery blog here on this website. Be sure to check out the Parkinsons Recovery Radio Show page where you will find 5 years of recordings from shows I have aired with amazing guests. The focus of all the shows is on identifying ways people have succeeded in reversing symptoms associated with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

There are certainly people who find wonderful results using LDN. I have aired several radio shows with Lexie who has experienced amazing results with taking LDN. Not every therapy works for everyone! As I see it, if infections (viral or bacterial) are an issue, LDN can be useful. Its purpose is to strengthen the immune system. The potential side effect of using LDN is that it can send toxins into the liver and other organs as is the case with most prescription medications.

I was diagnosed with PD when I was 38, which was 25 years ago.
Some facts that I know is that 15 years ago in a SPECT scan became clear that my dopaminereceptors were hardly effected (not enough to explain the symptoms) and another test showed an absence of Lewy bodies.

I have an older brother and an older sister with PD too. They are 9 and 10 years older than I am and I find it very difficult to see their condition, knowing it might be the same for me in a number of years.
This is the reason that I have been resisting taking more and more regular PD medication, because I saw what it did to my siblings. I am on 2 symmetrel and 1 sinemet and I take 2 mucuna pruriens capsules a day.

I want to take it a step further and try to reverse or at least stop the progression of the PD. I stopped smoking, cut on the intake of sugar and carbs and go for a walk of at least 1 kilometer every day, sometimes even 2 or 3 kilometers.
My goal is to strengthen my immune system.

I haven’t seen a neurologist in about 10 years, as it was my experience that the only thing they could offer was medication and more medication.

Last week I ordered the MafActive cream version of GcMAF and I am thinking about having my vitamine D level tested again. 3 Years ago I had a very low vitamine D level of 18 and I have been taking D3 and K2 supplements ever since, but I am not sure my body processes those supplements in the right way.

I am also considering Protandim or Immunocal to supplement the glutathion level in my body. But I can spend the money I have only one time, so I have to make choices.

My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 64. The symptoms were right arm tremors and constant fatigue. He currently take 150mg of carbadopa- levadopa- entacapone 5 times a day. 100mg Trazadone nightly for sleep, and 100mg modofinil. Daily for fatigue. These medications seem to have him under control. He recently had major back surgery 5 weeks ago, and is now stutter stepping. He never had this before surgery. The stutter stepping only happens at night. Do you think the surgery caused the Parkinson’s to flare up and cause this new ailments. What do you think causes him to stutter step at night? Do you think it can be controlled with an increase of carbadopa-levadopa nightly? Or do you think it might go away as part of his surgery recovery process? Have you ever heard of this happening to other Parkenson patients?

Hi, i’m 60 years old and suffering Parkinson desease about approximately 8 years already, presently I’m taking 2mg of biperiden 2x a day morning and evening, 200mg/50mg of carbidopa/levodopa 2x a day morning and evening . I stop taking other medicines prescribed by my neuro doctor like selegeline, amlodipine,etc.because I felt uneasy and my eyes and mouth appeared that I looked like a dope addict. I am taking buah merah as my food supplement, vit.B Complex and it seemed I feel better. I also want to try tyrosine500mg but I can’t buy it without the doctor’s RX,, also the 5HTP but I can’t find it here. I want to increase the production of my dopamine in natural way without taking synthetic medicine, can you tell me how and what can you say about reducing the intake of some synthetic medicines?

My father, aged 67 has chronic lyme desease for years now and has Parkinson symptoms. He refuses to go to a neurologist. In august he has an appointment with an ILADS lyme doctor who believes in Parkinson caused by lyme. This doctor follows the protocol of Dr. Horowitz. My father is an intelligent, creative and active man, but his slow movements and slow speach and concentration problems are making him look like an old man.

What do you think of Dr. Horowitz’ protocol? Are there neurologists who believe in lyme? I can’t find such a doctor in Belgium. What do you suggest?

So – the symptoms of Lyme are similar to symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. A surprising number of persons diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease actually have a lyme infection. Keep in mind that there are many factors that can
cause the symptoms associated with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s. Lyme is actually one of many.

I always recommend to people the best first move is the figure out what is causing your father’s symptoms. You then
can focus on the appropriate therapies to address the cause(s). That is the focus of my Jump Start to Recovery course.

My Husband is in the process of a diagnosis for Parkinsons. Since start of taking the meds he has had almost constant orthostatic hypotension. Has even landed in the ER with severely low BP. Now we question if he would be better without the meds. Anyone have similar issues?

I am so sorry to hear about your husband’s struggles. Everyone responds differently to medications. They do have side effects which unfortunately can be seriously problematic for some people. Know that there are many other options that can be considered to address his symptoms.

Instead of rushing to suppress symptoms, I recommend you focus on figuring out the cause of his symptoms first. That will inform the therapies that offer the biggest chance of a favorable outcome.

Hello! My symptoms first appeared about 4 years ago, (2014), and terminated a very active life style. Snow and water skiing plus other activities. but then quite suddenly unstable, all the activity stopped. Dr. diagnosed PD; prescribed PRAMIPEX OLE 0.125 Mg. twice/day; AZILECT 0.5 Mg. twice/day; CYCLOBENZAPRENE HOL 0.10Mg. as needed for spasm. This was tough for me: Zero meds previously. Change Dr. (2015). BENZOTROPINE MES 0.5mG. twice/day; CARBIDOPA/LEVODOPA 250 tab 3 times/day; CLONAZE PAM 0.5Mg. once/day bedtime preceding strenuous day, (once a month). I am slowly reducing the dosages, (against my doctor’s orders) by cutting meds in half and then in quarters. This appears to work as well as the higher dosages. The one surprise is that the shuffling gate accompanies the meds at any level. No meds, no shuffle! What gives?

Hi. Everyone responds differently to medications. It might help to sort out this puzzle by doing a search for the side effects of the medications you are taking. The other complication is that there are always interactions when you are taking more than one medication. It may be interactions are an issue to one degree or another.

I have no informal evidence about either. I do know that the body knows how to heal itself. I also know
that if you believe it cannot be healed, it won’t. If you believe it can, you will heal. Thoughts drive everything. So, why hold the thought that (if you have either of these conditions) they cannot be healed?

Be sure to look at the most recent post here about photobiomodulation, a new light therapy. I heard still another positive report today after only 3 weeks of use. That it seems would be a therapy worth considering.

Rather than chasing after what is wrong, I suggest you focus on initiating therapies that help the body heal from the inside out.

Dear Robert:
My mother (in the UK) has had Parkinson’s for about 8 years, and she is 81 years old. The form it takes is difficulty moving, and she is now very immobile and requires help to move at all. I feel that she is demonstrating symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the GPs in the UK seem reluctant to prescribe medication for that, since she is taking Sinemet.
I am researching natural/herbal remedies, and wondered what your view is of Bach’s Rescue Remedy (flower remedy) as safe to be used with Sinemet?